Do not ask what the world needs. 

Instead, ask what makes you come 

alive. Because what the world needs  

is more people who have come alive.

--Thurmond Whitman

 Marilyn A. Kinsella               HOME

             Winter, 2005     Volume2       Issue 1

       Calendar:                         

`          January

15 - Gillespie Public Library - Winter Stories 10:30

22 - Lewis and Clark Showcase in Edwardsville, IL (emcee)

26- Independence School, Bolingbrook, IL

       February

3- St. Jude School, Chattanooga, TN, Stories 'n Stones

10 - Mitchell School, Mitchell, IL 7 - 8 "Bunch 'o Munsch

17 - Mt. Olive School, Family Reading Night

20 - Story Tsunami, Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows - 2:00 First Christian Church, Edwardsville, Il - 7:00 pm

23 - Quincy, IL - Dewey and Madison Schools Stories 'n Stones

24 - Quincy Schools St. Francis and All Saints - Stories 'n Stones

25 - Butler School, Butler, MO

           March

2 - Ridge Meadows School, St. Louis Co. "Wild About Books"

14 - Centralia School

16 - Germantown Stories 'n Stones plus activity day

18 - 21  Boston, MA,    Sharing the Fire Conference - Presenter

31 - Liz Burns Children's Lit class at the Lewis and Clark Campus

  Up and Coming

Presenter at the Northlands Conference in April.

Earth Days at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in April.

St. Louis Storytelling Festival Under the Arch May 4-7

National Storytelling Conference in Oklahoma City on July 13-17

"The winter gathered us into one room as it gathered the cattle into the stable and the byre; the sky came closer; the lamps were lit at three or four in the afternoon, and then the great evening lay before us like a world: an evening filled with talk, stories, games music and lamplight."
Edwin Muir

I suppose I need to apologize. Or...maybe not. You see I have been extremely busy this past year - not so much with storytelling (although it was good year) but with the latest addition to our family - my first grandchild, Drew Adele. When I am at the computer, it's usually to put her latest pictures on my website. Sure, you can see the world's most beautiful and, dare I say, talented granddaughter. Just click on  Baby Drew. But, just in case you think I'm a little prejudiced...

Here she is doing her best interpretation of being Kewpie. Actually, she is our Kewpie-Drewpie.

So, I think you can excuse me if this newsletter is way overdue. By the way, I wrote a newsletter for Fall, but never published it. If you are interested in my busy summer/fall, the link is at the bottom of the page.

But, I digress...2005 holds the promise of lots of new stories and storytelling venues. Since the Summer Reading Program in IL is "Super Heroes: Powered by Books." Larry (long-suffering husband) and I came up with a new twist for our Stories 'n Stones. This year it will be called "Ishi - Last of the Stone Age Superheroes."

I will tell the story of Ishi, the last of the Yahi Indians in CA. And Larry will follow by demonstrating the various skills that Ishi taught modern man. I will conclude the program by talking about the last days of Ishi and references for more about his life and the lives of other notable Native Americans.

          Taleypo

For my own presentations this summer, I am offering a show called "Going Ape Over Superheroes." My puppet, Samantha,

found herself a Spiderman outfit and will accompany me as part of the program telling spiderman jokes and leading in to my telling Anansi the spider stories. We will finish with a puppet play called "Anansi and the Moss-covered Rock." For  more info on the new season click on Flyer of the 2005 season To book these shows just click on markinsella19@hotmail.com

For more programs offered by Taleypo the Storyteller and Stories 'n Stones go to "About Marilyn"

The biggest event this season is my involvement with "Story Tsunami". When the tidal wave hit the coast of southern Asia I was deeply moved and wished that I could do something more than send money. Then, on my Storytell Listserve, I read that Lee-Ellen Marvin was trying to pull together a storytelling benefit along the lines of a Tellabration. I knew that was something that could do. So I'm on the committee to promote this world-wide event.

The Riverwind Storytellers, Co said that they wanted to hold two benefits in the Metro-St. Louis Area. We are holding the events on Sunday, February 20th. The first at The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows Church from 2-4; and the second later at the First Christian Church in Edwardsville, IL from 7-9. The money collected at the free-will offering will go directly to The American Red Cross or to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

  My other big news in the world of storytelling is the three conferences I will attend and present.

The first is on the calendar in Boston MA, March 18-20, for the Sharing the Fire. I will present 2 workshops - both of them are new:

• How to Put Together Useful Study Guides for Elementary Schools

• Show Me at a Showcase - tips on going to showcases. 

In the Spring I will present "The Perfect Story From Nursery School to Nursing Home" at the Northlands Conference in Madison, WS, on April 22-23.

The "biggie-wiggie" is my presentation at the National Storytelling Conference in Oklahoma City, OK, on July 13-17. I've attended this event more times than I can count and feel privileged to be able to present. Again I offer "The Perfect Story From Nursery School to Nursing Home."